Wolf Pups
Wolf Pups Usually only the alpha pair will mate and produce pups, yet often their will be at least one rebellious subordinate or lower ranking wolf that will mate and produce offspring. Depending on how dominant and in rage the alpha female is she may or may not kill the other females pups to insure her own pups saftey. All pups are born in a den, whether its a den in the ground, rock, or a fallen or upright tree. The mother wolves will spend the few weeks before they give birth around the den getting it ready, by clearing it out and making it comfortable for her upcoming pups. Usually a female will give birth to three to six pups per litter but there has been some cases with more or less. When a pup is born it is completely blind and deaf(Other then some smell) They rely on the other pack members to keep them safe. Yet they grow very quickly on their mothers milk. By two weeks old there eyes are open and they are moving around. Wolf pups at a young age have multiple dangers incluing: Many wild animals, Sickness, and weather. Very early in life, young wolves may start to establish a dominance order among themselves. When they are only about 30 days old, the pups in a litter may start fighting with each other. They may fight every day for a number of days. In the end, one of the pups will roll over on its back to show that it gives up, and the other raises its tail to show dominance. Gestation Period Pups grow inside their mother for about 63 days before being born. At birth they weigh only one pound, and their eyes are closed. Pups grow quickly. About 12 to 15 days after they are born, they open their eyes. By two weeks of age, the pups can walk, and about a week after that, they may come out of the den for the first time. At first, they live only on milk from their mother then slowly switch to meat. Development Stages *10 - 13 days: the eyes open *3 weeks: the milk teeth appear, they start to explore the den *4 - 5 weeks: short trips outside the den, begin to eat meat *6 weeks: moving up to a mile from the den (with adult wolf) *6 - 8 weeks: pups are weaned, traveling to rendezvous site. *12 weeks: begin to travel with the pack on hunts (with adult wolves) *15 - 28 weeks: milk teeth are replaced *7 - 8 months: begin to hunt with the pack The Early Years In a few weeks (4-5 weeks), the pups start eating meat. This is brought to them in the stomachs of the adult wolves. The pups lick around the mouth of the adult, and the food comes back up into the adult's mouth. This sounds terrible to us, but wolf pups love it! All the wolves in a pack help take care of the pups. When the pups are very small, other pack members bring food to the mother so she does not have to leave the den. When the pups are a little bigger, pack members "take turns" bringing them food, playing with them and even "baby sitting." Once the pups are about eight weeks old, they leave the den and start using '''"rendezvous sites."''' These are meeting places where the wolves gather to sleep, play and just "hang out." Until the pups are old enough to go with the adults, (when pups are six months old, they look almost like adult wolves. Around this time, they start hunting with the rest of the pack) they stay at the rendezvous site. Often, one of the adult wolves stays with the pups to watch over them. Wolf pups love to play. They chase each other and roll around the way dog puppies do. Many of their games appear to be a sort of practice for the things they will do as adult wolves. Pups have been observed playing with "toys" like bones, feathers or the skins of dead animals. They "kill" the toys over and over again and carry them around as "trophies." As they get bigger, they begin to hunt small animals, like rabbits. This is all good practice for the day they join the pack for their first real hunt for large animals.